‘Steadfast Tin Soldier’ offers magical respite from the real world

As the holidays approach at the same time the tumult of the world continues to whirl, many are craving a bit of peace. And for many, that feeling can be found within live theater.

Just ask director/playwright Mary Zimmerman.

“To be honest, I made this show for myself,” says Zimmerman about “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” her newly conceived show, which she also directs at Lookingglass Theatre. “It’s nice to have a break from the near constant pressures of the world and bask in the kind of show in which your mind is free to roam.”

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Inspired by the beloved story by Hans Christian Andersen, the production does not rely on words or complicated dialogue to tells its precious story. Instead, the narrative relies on movement, images and the music of a small group of live musicians to tell the story of the little tin soldier with just one leg.

And yes, it’s a story as intriguing to the adults as it is to the kids.

“I find that children are such sharp observers,” says Zimmerman of the show, which will also hold specific Family Days in which families with kids ages 6-12 can take part in various crafts and meet-and-greets. “In fact, I was specifically thinking of the children when I came up with this idea of an advent calendar-type of opening in which there is a countdown to the beginning of the show via little doors opening, giving peeks at images of the show. I remember as a child that joy that came with the anticipation of the holiday season. It’s a joy that runs through the entire production.”

And for Zimmerman, that kind of joy is not only comforting, but inspiring.

“I think ‘The Steadfast Tin Soldier’ is a story that teaches everyone that you simply can’t waver,” she says. “Times may be bad but it won’t last. Be steadfast and be brave, just like that little tin soldier.”

“The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” through Jan. 13, 2019, Lookingglass Theatre Company, 821 N. Michigan, $20-$85; lookingglasstheatre.com